Return to Give Thanks!

What better story to relay here at the season of Thanksgiving than the story of the 10 lepers as told in Luke the 17th chapter.


Luke 17:11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

Luke 17:12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

Luke 17:13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

Luke 17:14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

Luke 17:15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

Luke 17:16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

Luke 17:17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

Luke 17:18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

Luke 17:19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

We must believe other evangelists had ignored the lepers, for them to still be here at the time when Jesus walked by some yards away. Leprosy was a disease that caused an eating away of the flesh and bone and overtime disfigured a man so he was undesirable to look upon. Lepers were viewed as outcasts of society and it was thought they had somehow committed sins that deemed God's punishment on them as a mark of God's displeasure. We should note they hang together with their own kind. They could understand each other’s woes, and pain and disappointment for loss of family, friends and community. Who else would understand their misery but one who shared in their deformity.

The day Christ came into town, was their opportunity. Standing afar off they implored Jesus to notice them. Had He traveled that road with the intention of finding them? Could be. He is and was known for finding those who look for Him. In their desperation, they called Him by name knowing that the law prohibited them from coming any closer - they called the distance - loud enough for Him to hear.

Do we recognize ourselves in these men? A sense of our own spiritual leprosy
should make us very humble as we come near to Christ. Who are we that we should approach Him who is Holy and pure? We are impure as these men were, yet their outcry got His attention. "Master, have mercy on us." There is no mention of wanting to be cleansed of their leprosy however, their heartfelt cry to Jesus brought about more than Mercy but healing as well.

Jesus request to them was one of obedience. Should they obey, their healing would ultimately come. Whatever happened to the nine who did not return we are not told. Their story is only important for a comparison to the one who did return to give Thanks for his new life. This Samaritan, the scripture is careful to tell us, was considered by the Jews as nothing more than a dog, yet he came back and in humility fell down at Jesus feet and thanked Him for what had happened.

Today I am reminded of the healing that was granted me in 2005. I've written about it before and will not go into detail again, however believe me when I say I am still healed. I can breathe without the aid of an Oxygen machine, my heart rate is normal sinus rhythm, and I have a new lease on life still 4 years and 3 months later. Today I am thankful. Today I returned to say "Thank you Lord for giving me a few more years of life with health to enjoy it. Thanks. Oh Yes, Thanks."

Yours for Christ
Grammyof13

Do you Believe?

Occasionally we revisit our articles of Faith. Each church has a code they live and abide by in order to fulfill their work of the Kingdom. Each organized church is known for its "Doctrine" or "articles of Faith".

The articles of Faith for the church I attend may be different than yours but I'm finding less and less things divide or separate us as there once was. The prayer the Lord Jesus prayed in John 17:11 is being answered. "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one, as we are".  The differences that have divided us for centuries, are narrowing and the path to God is much plainer as we share our articles of Faith which boil down to accepting the virgin birth of Jesus, and the Bible being the actual WORD of God written by men who were directed by the Holy Ghost. 

The disciples had been with Jesus, heard Him teach, saw Him heal the sick and raise the dead. The disciples were men of diverse backgrounds. And it was from that band of men the seed of the Gospel was planted and harvested since then. You and I are products of that seed. The seed has maintained its power to reproduce in us the answer to Jesus prayer; that we become one even as he and God are one.

We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, written by men of old who were moved upon by the Holy Ghost.  Yes, I believe just that.

I believe the Bible (whether KJV, NIV, ASV, GNB translation) is the Word of God. My Salvation depends on the fact that it is the Father's Word showing me how to live, how to receive salvation, how to walk in His finished work on the Cross.

Moreover, as I stand on that fact, that the Bible is THE Word of God, it is important to me that I read it daily for a fresh word to keep me nourished and growing.

Do you believe? How do you answer with an unambiguous "yes" and never pick it up to hear what God is saying to you? Good question don't you think?

Yours for Christ
Grammyof13

Baggage!

When I started traveling for the Women's Retreat ministry back in the early 80's, one could tell I was a novice traveler by the luggage I carried. One bag for my make-up and Bathroom supplies, one for underwear, hose, and PJ's, then one for my evening wear or church clothes.

It took me a few trips to see others had their carry on bag, no purse, and one bag they checked to our destination. They watched me struggle with all my baggage from Buffalo NY airport, to the car that was waiting to take us across the border into Niagra Falls, Canada for the week-end. And struggle I did. Someone did finally offer to help, but on the return trip a few days later, I had it to do all over again.

I got to thinking about luggage, or baggage whichever the case may be.  Luggage can become baggage if we're not careful.  Spiritually speaking of course, We may start out with something small in our lives, like hurt feelings or unforgiveness, however if we do not empty that "carrier" now and then, it can become so full it becomes baggage.  We cannot go through life with baggage that weighs us down as Christians.

My husband and I want to downsize.  We are at a stage in our lives when taking care of the "things" we've collected has become a hassle.  However when we take time to look, (actually look) at what we have to filter through, make choices of what to keep, what to discard or what to give away has been overwhelming so far.  How does one get so much "stuff" I want to ask?  Yet no one has an answer.  What was important in years past is no longer important now - some things at least - and now it feels like baggage as we take mental inventory of what we have and must make choices on.

To me our dilemma is a leson in life.  One should not have so much baggage in their golden years.  Especially spiritually speaking!  We must take time in our 30's, 40's or even 50's or beyond to rid ourselves of unwanted "stuff" we have collected over the years.  Memories of hurtful times, when we were betrayed, or embarrassed, or rejected, or wounded beyond repair.  People who disappoint us and we remember.  People who lied about us and we can't forget.  The time when God was at a distance and didn't seem to hear our cry, is times like these that are kept inside us and eventually become baggage. 

How can I rid myself of these painful memories, and unforgiveness you ask?  How can i deal with the bitterness I feel of being married for so many years and then rejected for someone else?

Truthfully I haven't been in your shoes, and I can't possibly tell you I've been there.  However I've learned with what life has dealt me, there is a freiend in Jesus. 

I love the scripture in Exodus 33:21 "And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me..."  I  love the phrase, "there is a place by me..."  In that I envision a place by the Lord that I can stand without being hurt.  A place by Him that I can cast all my cares.  A place by Him where I can stand unafraid of being rejected again.  And yes, a place to lay all my painful memories, and hurt filled past never to have them hanging on as baggage again.

I want that for you.  And my friend, The Lord God Almighty, who was and IS and IS to come wants that for you as well.  Take advantage of this opportunity to get rid of unwanted baggage before you get any older, I did.

Yours for Christ
Grammyof13

Night Times of the Soul.

I'm thinking of Gideon this morning. The man who was found by the Winepress, threshing the little wheat so his family could have a meal. If there ever was a man who was experiencing a night time of the soul, it was he.

Gideon - a man who had lived through captivity, war and poverty. His family was on the verge of dying from hunger. The Lord found him hiding behind the winepress. He was deep in thought as he threshed the hand full of wheat. His mind runs the path of “what am I going to do for my family“, or “who is going to get us out of this mess”, and “Will we ever see daylight again, will we ever be free again?” I believe he was in a state of despondency from years of oppression. Enduring conditions that would cause even the strongest among us to break, accept for one thing of course.

Each time the Israelites made a crop; the Medianites came and destroyed it. The people of Israel had become Despondent - they could see no hope of their situation turning around. The same things happen to us when we get despondent and lose hope.

Gideon and his family were feeling rejected. Why would they feel like God had rejected them? Remember they had left God out of their lives. They had built altars to idol gods. They had broken relationship with a Holy God. The only acceptance they could find would be to get back in relationship.

Let me ask you? Do you feel you have been rejected?
Prayers not answered?
Needs not met?
You may not have voiced it, but you feel God is on vacation somewhere and has not heard your prayer. He is never there when you need Him.
There are times when the Heaven’s seem brass, and our need just keeps getting bigger.

I call those times “night times of the soul”.

“God where are you? I need help, and I can’t find you. I don’t see you. I can’t hear YOU”

Gideon was having a night time of the soul. According to Judges 6:7-10: the Israelites had a prayer meeting and God had been frank with them. “You have disobeyed me.”. In other words I have rejected you.

Could it be that we have left God out of our lives. Living for ourselves, our own desires, while paying no attention to the commandments of the law?

Churches are filled with people who feel they have been rejected. They’ve tried this church, that church and wherever they go, they find no answer. A Church can’t fulfill our need of acceptance. Only a right relationship with a Holy God can fulfill our needs. Only a right relationship with God can turn things around.

As long as we are out of relationship with God, we cannot in faith ask Him for anything. Why? Because in our heart we feel rejected and sense He he is mad and will not come through for us.

I grew up with a father who spoke very little to his children. He was always there, but Mother was our care giver. Not to say I couldn’t ask him for something, I just didn’t. Mother met my needs through him of course. However it took me years in my growing relationship with the Lord, to understand with my heart that I could ask my Heavenly Father for anything. My relationship with Him is such that my faith is strong, knowing that He cares for ME!

When we feel accepted, we believe Father will do anything I ask. Our faith brings us into His presence and we ask what we will, and He hears us. I John 5:14-15 records: “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us;: And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” Hallelujah and Amen.

True Faith is simply our acceptance of His acceptance of us-based on what Jesus did on the Cross. (Read that again!!)  True Faith is simply our acceptance of HIS acceptance of us-based on what Jesus did on the Cross!!!

As long as we are out of relationship with a Holy God, we will be as Gideon – not able to see ourselves as a mighty warrior, or a man of velour. We cannot see our self as HIS son, His daughter, or who we are in HIM. As long as we are out of relationship with Him, we do not know that it is His delight to give good gifts to His children.


Have you ever thought about satan hoping against hope, that we never find out about who we are in Christ? For if, we knew who we were in Christ, if we really knew, if we really really knew – we would shake satan’s kingdom to the core. The walls of deception would be torn down. The lie he has told us – about our situation, our children, our churches, the lie he has told us concerning our broken relationships, the lie that you don’t deserve anything from God’s hand because you were not worthy - all his deceptions would come to daylight in the light of God’s Word. Satan’s lies cannot stand up to the truth that we have an unbroken fellowship with God Almighty, the All Powerful One.

Remember Gideon? Even though he thought he was alone, he was not aware that the Almighty, All Powerful God was about to turn his situation around. He was about to know Who he was in God! The Angel set him free from thinking that God was on vacation and would not come through for them. Yes they had sinned. Yes God wanted them to repent, and finally their prayer was answered and Gideon’s eyes were opened to the mighty man he could be with an unbroken relationship with God. God working with him, he went on to do great things including tearing down the idol statues of the gods of his father.

Yours for Christ

Evening Prayer

In thumbing through a song book I found a song I remember well.  However, it has not surfaced my mind in quite some time.  I was taken back to the days of radio when the station closed off at midnight at the latest, and some am stations even closed down at sundown.  Or that was the case of the ones I listened to.

Television stations closed down at midnight with the sounds of The national Anthem.  The American flag waving in the distance. I'm probably dating myself seeing that even TV stations telecast 24 hours without a break.  If there are any radio stations that actually stop broadcasting at sundown, they are AM stations and at that few and far between.

Anyway, I remember hearing the deep voice of Jimmy Dean, as he prayerfully sang this song at the close of the day.  With the hope you will enjoy it  and might like to adopt it for your "evening prayer"  I'm glad to share it with you.

If I have wounded any soul today

If I have caused one foot to go astray

If I have walked in my own will today

Dear Lord Forgive.

If I have uttered idle words today

If I have turned aside from want or pain

Les I offend some other through the strain

Dear Lord Forgive.

If I have been perverse, or hard or cold

If I have longed for shelter in the fold

When thou has given me some fort to hold

Dear Lord Forgive.

Forgive the sins I have confessed to thee

Forgive the secret sins I do not see

O guide me, love me and my keeper be

Dear Lord Forgive!

Nothing else need be said other than "Amen"

Yours For Christ

Doris

Where Were You?

While working on a task this morning, I found myself saying, "Lord where were you when I needed you?"  I was too far in to go back, so the only solution for me was to move forward.

It was a feeling I had experienced some years ago, after I was mugged! Yes, mugged! It was December 14, I remember it well. Coming home from a short few hours of shopping, my purse held what was left of my last one hundred dollar bill. There was one more gift I wanted to purchase so I could get it into the mail for my parents.

My children were at various activities, practicing the church Christmas program, ball practice, and such. When I arrived at home, I drove the car into the car-port, kept my keys in my hand, threw my shoulder bag over my right arm, my coat over my shoulders, closed the car door and then it happened before I could get the key into the lock.

From behind me crept someone with masked face and gloved hands. He placed his hand over my mouth, muffling my screams while trying to take my purse. Being claustrophobic, I immediately raised my right hand to grab his, trying to get my face and nose free. Otherwise, I would have passed out from lack of oxygen or the fear of not getting oxygen.

He held tighter, I tried harder, and there was no way either one of us was giving up without a fight. The arm that held my purse was the hand I was using to try and free myself from his grasp. We struggled; he dragged me over my yard, and eventually brought me to the ground. I looked up to see him loping up the hill out of  with my purse tightly under his arm.
I sat there crying, yet my screams for help came from deep within me. I ran to my nearest neighbor’s home and knocked on the door continuing to scream for help. No one was home. “Oh God help me! Somebody help me!” my very soul was crying for help.

Finally a neighbor from across the street, whom I knew very little, came to help me. She took me into her home, called the police and allowed me to make some calls myself.

For several days, my heart cried, “Lord where were you? You had a golden opportunity to show up and rescue me, but You were not there. I don’t understand!”

Today, I am reminded of a fellow sister who asked the same thing. The story in St. John’s writings, Chapter 11 goes like this. Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary was very sick. The natural thing to do was call for their friend Jesus.

Jesus received their message, stayed two more days in the place where he was, then told the disciples “we need to go to Judaea.” Judaea had been hostile toward him in the past, and the disciples reminded him of the incident.

Joh 11:6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

Joh 11:7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

Joh 11:8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

I would tend to be disappointed in a friend who didn’t come when I needed them most. “A friend in need is a friend indeed…” isn’t that the way it goes? Martha needed Him, he decided to go in the opposite direction.

John 11:19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

Too they were comforted by other people who grieved with them concerning Lazarus.

John 11:20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

Four days after Lazarus had died, Jesus decided to show up. Out of Martha’s frustration, sorrow and loss, I understand how she appeared to be quiet human.

John 11:21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

John 11:22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

To paraphrase, Martha asked, “Lord where were you?. If you had been here, Lazarus would still be alive…”

The entire story is found in John the 11th chapter, but for time sake, I ‘ll stop the story and talk to you who are reading this.

Have you had times of wondering, maybe even asking aloud, “Lord where were you?” I find many occasions to ask the question. When untimely deaths, news of sicknesses unto death, financial disasters, wars, rumors of wars, violence, crime, and from here you may add your own list of reasons to ask, “Lord where are you?”

I surely am trying to rise to that Pinnacle of faith, where everything the Lord does make sense! I know there must be a higher level of faith than I have found at this point in life, which will take the humanness away!

I’m being facetious, for I truly know that our journey from earth to heaven is a journey by and of Faith. Even Jesus cried from the cross, “Why have you forsaken me?” Jesus? Yes Jesus, at a time when flesh was dying. When one last time flesh cried out, “Where are you, have you forsaken me?”

Numerous times the Bible records men who felt God had hid His face from them. Countless times, we are reminded through the Holy Scripture that patriarchs prayed, then prayed again, and again before they felt a release that God had heard.

Remember Job? How about David, or Daniel? How about Peter? Then again think of Martha, who loved Jesus.

For many days after I was mugged, I could not speak to the Lord. I was struggling for a reason He did not come to my rescue and get rid of the “bad man”.

For several years after that night, my nerves stayed on edge and a scream was always forthcoming when someone entered the room without my knowing it. Once I heard them, or even felt their presence, I lost control. Usually the scream would scare the person, much more than they scared me. We usually had a good laugh when we both regained our composure. And, finally the frayed nerves did settle down.

Now how did I get my question answered? I cannot say I did really. I know this; the Lord does all things well. I know the young man did not kill me. I know my pride was hurt, but I was home when my children returned. Friends replaced the money in the purse left over from my one hundred dollar bill. I replaced the purse. I carried my wounds for awhile, they healed. However, the wounded spirit that could not forgive my Lord, had to be reckoned with.

I was learning to give thanks in the middle of “all things”. 1Th 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you–ward”

I had understood it this way, “I must be thankful {for} all things”, yet as I forgave the Lord for not coming through for me, I understood with more clarity. “Oh yes Lord, in the middle of everything – in the middle of my pain – in the middle of my frustration – I thank YOU.”

I’ll say with the Psalmist “because you have rescued me from death and kept me from defeat. so I walk in the presence of God, in the light that shines on the living. Psa 56:13

Isaiah 55:8 helps us understand, “The LORD says: "My thoughts and my ways are not like yours.”

There may be another time in my life where I’ll ask the same thing, “Lord where are you, or where were you?”. Hopefully I will have grown in Faith, and hear Him say to me again, “My thoughts and ways are not yours”, or maybe I’ll hear Him say, “I will never leave you nor desert you.” (Hebrews 13:5).

Christians Under Construction.

We were within 30 minutes or so of landing in Nashville, TN.  that day.  Coming from a trip out of the country, I was nearing home and Nashville would be a short stop over.  The sky was clear and from my lofty position I could scope the entire town and beyond with a sweep of my eyes, with only a few clouds spotting the sky. I love setting at the window seat, for I always searched  for familiar sights below, trying to recognize the L & C tower in this case.

In my years of travel, I’ve flown over mountains, fields, cities, oceans, rivers and streams. After awhile everything begins to look the same. Blocks of land outlined by trees or  fences, or streams, made a picture that resembled a patchwork quilt. However…on this flight, my eyes caught sight of what looked like a pile of rubble. I searched intently for anything that would tell me if a tornado or storm had passed through the area.

As we continued to circle the city waiting for clearance to land,  I realized what I was seeing from my lofty perch was a building sight. Houses or maybe apartment buildings were under construction. The debris was piles of lumber, roofing shingles, sacks of nails, cement mixer and bags of concrete mix. It was a hodgepodge of material that would be used in constructing a beautiful home where the walls would eventually ring with laughter. It would someday become a place  some one called home.

Having come from a Talk and Prayer retreat, my mind was receptive to a spiritual lesson of sorts.

"So that’s how it is”, I mused comparing our life to that of the building site. We are Christians under construction. I wonder if God sees us in our state of incompletion with rubble around us. Has He placed the necessary equipment around us to complete the finished product.  Is this how we must look in our unfinished state, a pile of rubble?

Even though you and I  are in an unfinished stage of our Christian walk- rest assured that God has the blue-print. He is the master builder and He knows how to bring all the material into our lives for us to become the finished product He has designed. Others may see us as rubble, and wonder how we will ever amount to anything. That’s OK. Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus…”, and the finished product will be just like the blue-print if we cooperate with the Master Builder.

Yours for Christ,
Doris